Kingfishers were long the subject of myth, legend and superstition. Aristotle, some 2,000 years ago, wrote that kingfishers made their nests on a calm sea (which is where we get the phrase "halcyon days"). This led to their feathers being sought after for all sorts of good luck charms, as they symbolized the idea of calm and fortune. Another legend associated with kingfishers is that only the righteous will see them.